Aquatic swing or rocker



- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. JLP. BREDOW. AQUATIG SWING 0R ROCKER.

No. 598,900. Patented Feb. 15, 1898.

THE norms PETERS coi FHOTO-LIYMIL, WASHINGTON, D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.'F. BREDOW. AQUATIC SWING 0R ROCKER.

No. 598,900. v Patented Feb. 15,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN F. BREDOl/V, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

. AQUATIC SWING OR ROCKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,900, dated February15, 1898.

Application filed May 29,1897. Serial No. 638,745. (No model.) I I I Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BREDOW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and. State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Aquatic Swing ,or Rocker, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to aquatic swings or rockers, its object being toprovidea semicylindrical hull or body adapted to be supported by waterand having pivot-pins movable vertically between fixed guides, whichpins are arranged on the axial center of the hull and serve as pivots onwhich the hull rocks or swings. The hull is provided with seats onopposite sides, and the swinging or rocking movement may be imparted tothe hull by the occupants of the seats or by mechanical means, asdesired.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and its novel featuresembodied in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of an aquatic swing orrocker madein accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig.3 is a vertical transverse section. tion.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.

1 indicates the ribs of the hull, which aresemicircular in form, and 2the cross-beams, which are secured to the ribs.

3 indicates the sheathing, which is secured to the ribs, and 4 the'fioor, which is secured to the cross-beams. v

5 indicates vertical standards, which are firmly secured to the ribs andbeams and extend above the floor, and on the upper ends of thesestandards the horizontal rods 6 are firmly secured in anysuitablemanner. These rods 6 are arranged'on the axial center of the hull andform the pivot on which the hull is adapted torock or swing.

7 indicates a pile or piles, from the upper end of which extend thespaced guide-bars 8, between which the outer end of one of the rods 6projects.

9 indicates a landing or dock, from which projects upwardly another pairof spaced guide-bars 8, between which the rod 6 at the other end of thehull is adapted to Work.

Fig 4. is a vertical longitudinal sec-.

These guide-bars should be of sufficient height to accommodate the riseandfall of the hull without releasing the rods 6, and they may beconnected .at their upper ends, if desired, or left open. Instead of adock or landing it is obvious that other piles may be used to supportthe guide-bars 8 at this end of the hull or floating docks may be usedinstead of piles. The dock and the piles 7 will prevent end movement ofthe hull, and the guide-pins will prevent it from moving laterally outof position.

The hull is provided with tiers of seats 10 on opposite sides and withhand-rails 11 at each end and along front of seats for the purpose ofsafety, and a section of the hand-rail will be movable at the end of theboat adjacent to the dock for the purpose of affording a passage-Way.The upper side edges 12 of the hull may be curved or otherwise shaped,

as desired, to give them an ornamental finish.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that as the hull issemicylindrical in form and the pivot-pins at the axial center ofthehull the latter may be easily rocked from side to side with butlittle effort on the part of the occupants of the hull, for the waterwill act as a soft-cushioned lubricant and will not be materiallydisturbed by the motion of the boat, for the displacement of the waterwill remain unchanged during the rocking of the hull from side to side.As the pivot-pins are free to have vertical movement between the guidesthe hull will be free to rise and fall according to the load it maycarry and also to accommodate the rise and fall of the water caused bythe ebb and flow of the tide should the hull be supported in wateraffected by the tide.

While I have illustrated and described the pivot-pins as being firmlysecured to the hull on its axial center and the guides as being exteriorof the hull, it is obvious that practically the same result maybeobtained by securing the guide-bars on the hull and then supporting arod or rods on the floating docks or piles to extend between theguide-bars in the same vertical plane as the axial center of the hull. Aseparate rod may be used for each end of the hull, or a single rod maybe used to extend from end to end of the hull between the guide-bars andbe supported at its ends on the piles or floating docks at therespective ends of the hull. This construction would not, however, be asdesirable as the construction previously described and illustrated, forthe reason that the contactpoints between the pivot-rods and the guideswill not always be in line with the axial center of the hull, but may beabove or below it, this depending on the additional weight on the hull.The hull may be rocked, however, but during such rocking there will be avertical sliding movement of the guide-bars on the pivot-rod if thecontact-point is on either side of the axial center of the hull, andthis will cause friction, which will be absent in the construction firstdescribed and illustrated. Itis also obvious that when the pivotpins aresecured to the hull they may be to one side of the axial center of thehull; but in such case the rocking movement of the hull will not be assmooth and even in the water, but will produce slight waves. Thesewaves, however, will not hinder the action of the swing to anyappreciable extent and in some cases will add to the pleasure of thoseonthe hull. It is to be understood, therefore, that while I prefer theconstruction illustrated and first described herein I do not intend torestrict my invention to such construction.

It is obvious that the device may be placed upon a pond, river, lake, orany other body of water having suffioient'depth to support the hull, andit is also obvious that changes in the form, proportion, and the minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In an aquaticswing or rocker, the combination of a semicylindrical hull, pivot-pinsfirmly secured thereto on the axial center of the hull, and fixed guidesbetween which the pins are confined to have vertical movement,substantially as described.

2. In an aquatic swing or rocker, the combination of a semicylindricalhull, vertical standards secured thereto at each end, rods firmlysecured to the upper ends of said standards on the axial center of thehull, and fixed guides between which the pins are confined to have freevertical movement, substantially as described.

3. In an aquatic swing or rocker, the combination of a semicylindricalhull, pivot-pins firmly secured thereto on the axial center of the hull,fixed guides between which the pins are confined to have free verticalmovement, and a series of seats on opposite sides of the hull,substantially as described.

4. In an aquatic swing or rocker, the combination of a semicylindricalhull, pivot-pins firmly secured thereto on the axial center of the hull,fixed guides between which the pins are confined to have free verticalmovement, tiers of seats on opposite sides of the hull, and hand-railsat each end of the hull and along the front of the seats, substantiallyas described.

5. In an aquatic swing or rocker, the combination of a semicylindricalhull, horizontal pivots around which the hull swings, and guide slots orways in which the respective pivots are confined and adapted to haveadjustment relative thereto in a substantially vertical direction,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an aquatic swing or rocker, the combination of a hull having arocker-shaped bottom, a pivot on which the hull swings, and guides toconfine the pivot against lateral movement, and permit of a free,automatic, vertical movement of the hull, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN F. BREDOlV.

\Vitnesses:

Orro RIEoHE, ED. KAUFMANN.

